Written Answers Tuesday 14 October 2008

Scottish Executive

Communities

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the £100,000 allocated to Renfrewshire Council through the Cashback for Communities programme has been spent.

Kenny MacAskill: Organisations seeking funding are required to apply through YouthLink. Unfortunately, there were no successful applicants in Renfrewshire in Round 1, which means that the full allocation of £100,000 is yet to be distributed.

  The deadline for Round 2 applications was 26 September 2008 and these are currently being processed. It is anticipated that the full £100,000 will be allocated to successful applicants in this round. An announcement of successful applicants is expected on 4 November 2008.

  In addition to the YouthLink programme, rugby and football activities will be rolled out across Renfrewshire as a result of the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Rugby Union CashBack funding streams. Football activities include two Street Football leagues at Ferguslie Sports Centre; a Bank of Scotland Midnight League at King George V Memorial Playing Fields in Renfrew, and Soccer 1 programmes at 11 secondary schools in the area.

Sexual Offences

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions there have been in relation to internet grooming of children or young people for sexual purposes.

Kenny MacAskill: No information is held centrally on how many arrests are made for any type of crime. However, recorded crime figures show that, in the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, the number of crimes recorded by the police for the grooming of children for the purposes of sexual offences was five, 11 and 17, respectively.

  In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the most recent years for which data is available, there were, respectively, one and two people prosecuted for this type of crime. Each of these prosecutions resulted in the charge being proved and a custodial sentence being imposed.

  The crime category "grooming of children for the purposes of sexual offences" cannot be split down into cases involving internet grooming and grooming via other means.